Join us for a very special author/book event with Northern Irish peace activist and film critic Gareth Higgins and his most recent book “A Whole Life in Twelve Movies”—the perfect Christmas gift book for 2025!

Gareth Higgins was born in Belfast, grew up during the northern Ireland Troubles, and now spends much of his time engaged in the work of transformative storytelling in the US, and Ireland. He writes and speaks about the power of storytelling to shape our lives and world, peace and making justice, and how to take life seriously without believing your own propaganda. He has been involved in peace-building and violence reduction in northern Ireland and helping address the legacy of conflict, received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Queen’s University Belfast, and helped teach the world’s first graduate course in Reconciliation Studies at Trinity College Dublin. He also helped found the Wild Goose, New Story and Movies & Meaning festivals. Gareth leads retreats in North America and Ireland; and he founded The Porch Magazine.

Gareth’s new book, co-authored with Kathleen Norris, is A Whole Life in Twelve Movies: A Cinematic Journey to a Deeper Spirituality. Lee Isaac Chung, director of Twisters and Minari says, “I wish there was more writing … like it.”

Fr. James Martin says it’s “endlessly fascinating,” writer-director Scott Teems says it’s “a treasure,” and author Kaitlin Curtice says, “Please read this book … You’ll be so glad you did.”